Evaluation of wheat flour during refrigerated storage

Abstract

The behaviour of a batch of wheat flour packed in two materials (paper and polypropylene) and stored at 10ºC and a relative humidity of 90% was evaluated. Every 30 days and until rejection the evaluations done were: moisture, dough properties (alveograph), baking test, viable total mesophilic bacteria counts, molds, viable yeasts, total coliforms, and entomology analysis for insect detection. For both type of package a significant increase of moisture happened during the storage but there were no significant difference between packs for the same time. In the alveograms P values had a significant increase at 90 day, L fluctuated in the paper sacks and increased with time in the PP, P/L only rose at 90 days in paper; W didn’t fallow a defined tendency with time in paper, but in PP increased since 30 days and then stayed stable. The breads obtained during the whole period had a good quality and there were no significant differences between packing and time of storage. No infestation was detected in any type of packing in the storage time. The deterioration of the product occurred because of the increase in the microbiological counts. At 120 days the flour was rejected due to the high count of molds.